The Fabulous Zabo Koszewski

Famed for his god-like mid section, Ivan ‘Zabo’ Koszewski, is often forgotten about by modern gym goers seeking inspiration for their training. Although smaller in stature than contemporaries like Arnold or Frank Zane, Zabo’s physique was nevertheless the stuff of legend amongst his training colleagues.

Today’s post, written by Bob Hise for Strength and Health Magazine in 1967, details Zabo’s unique approach to training and nutrition. Whereas many of the time were eating between four and six meals a day, Zabo built his physique eating only twice a day. Something proponents of Intermittent Fasting will no doubt appreciate.

Irvin “Zabo” Koszewski is truly the Baron of Muscle Beaches; Santa Monica and Venice. Without a doubt he is the best known and most popular muscle man in Southern California.

“Zabo” made his appearance in this world on August 20, 1922, and began training fourteen years later. Zabo persevered at tossing the weights for 12 years before he won a major physique contest, the 1948 “Mr. New Jersey” title.

Like his boyhood idol, John C. Grimek, he has never been out of condition. He probably reached the crest of his long career in Portland, Oregon, in May of 1965 when he was crowned the “Over 40-Mr. Pacific Coast.”

Collingswood, N.J. High was the place where he attended school and where his father seemed to think he was dawdling his time away at playing. The playing his father referred to, was activities in track and field (shotput and the javelin), swimming and wrestling. He earned letters in all three and was captain of the grunt and groan team. The grand climax of his high school sports career was that of being selected to the all-state team.

A group of teenagers, which included young Koszewski, acquired a barbell. They trained by the pool side. The chills of winter caused cessation of activities, and then Zabo lugged the weights home and set up training quarters in his cellar. From that time in 1936 until now he has missed very few workouts.

To quote Zabo,

Everything I have accomplished is due to barbell training. I intended to train as long as I live even if it be a hundred years.

Zabo graduated from his cellar gym to the Camden Y.M.C.A. where he attained the title, “Mr. Abs.” No one and I mean no one, has won as many best abdominal awards as Koszewski.

The sunny shores of Southern California beckoned and Zabo answered the call. He arrived in Santa Monica January 4, 1951, and started training harder than ever at famed Muscle Beach. The “Mr. L.A.”, “Mr. California”, and the “Mr. Pacific Coast” awards were added to his “Mr. N.J.”, “Jr. Mr. Middle Atlantic”, and “Mr. Atlantic” titles. Wherever sub-divisions were a part of competition, Zabo always won “Best Abs.”

Due to the fact that there were so many strengthless men entering physique contests in the Los Angeles area, we were forced to set up some kind of a qualification. This was before power lifts had been standardized and accepted by the A.A. U. We of the committee decided that a fair test would be to require all entrants to total three times bodyweight. If memory serves me right, give or take five pounds, Zabo without a warm-up did a beautiful squat snatch with 220 and asked if that was proof enough. Kiddingly, I said, “No I would like to see performances on the other lifts.” He bent over the same bar, whipped it to his chest and made a military press and then placed a 25 pound plate on each end of the bar and did a beautiful squat clean and solid deep split jerk. Zabo stood erect and looked me straight in the eye as he held the weight over head, as to infer, “O.K. wise guy, do you accept this as proof?”

Maybe this doesn’t seem like great poundages today, but, this was done by a physique man weighing approximately 170 pounds without a warm-up and too, he lifted barefooted and without any “psyching up”.

Zabo does stunt work and bit-parts in T.V. and movies. For 5 years he played the part of a German in the T.V. series “Combat.” Speaking of acting, he played the part, I mean wrestling, under the name of “Jungle Boy.” If you saw “John Goldfarb” you saw Koszewski in the football scenes.

Zabo manages Joe Gold’s gym and though he works out six days a week from 2½ to 3½ hours per workout, I imagine if a close tab was kept on our hero he would be rattling the weights intermittently throughout the day. Heavy workout days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday and again to quote Zabo, “Saturday is an off day-Hooray -No workout!”

MONDAY – WEDNESDAY – FRIDAY
APPROXIMATE TIME-3½ hours

LEGS & BACK

Squats

8 x 10

Alternating

Leg Curls

8 x 10

Hack Squats

2 x 20

Alternating

Leg Curls

2 x 20

Stiff Leg Dead Lift

4 x 10

Power Cleans

4 x 10

CHEST

Decline Dumbell Press

10 reps

Criss-cross on overhead pulleys

10 reps

Parallel Dips

10 reps

Push-Ups

25 reps

These exercises are done for 1 set in above sequence, 7 times around.

“LATS”

Chins

7 x 10

Rows on Pulley

7 x 10

Pull Downs Behind Neck on Pulley

7 x 10

One Arm Reverse Laterals on Pulley

7 x 10 each arm

TUESDAY-THURSDAY
APPROXIMATE TIME-2½ hours

“DELTS”

Seated Dumbell Presses

Alternating 7 x 10

Flys with Dumbells

Seated Press Behind Neck

7 x 10

Upright Rows

7 x 10

“ARMS”

Incline Curls Alternate

Alternate 20 x 10

Tricep Press Downs on Pulley

All 5 day schedule of workouts are preceded by:

Situps

500 reps

No stopping

Leg Raise

500 reps

No stopping

SUNDAY-He does what he feels like doing in his training.

He calls this his “Goof off Day.” His training is done in the early afternoon at Gold’s gym and needless to say he trains very fast.

Much swimming in the blue Pacific and running on the beach is done as a further part of his exercise program.

Zabo follows a strict, sensible diet. He eats two meals a day, breakfast and supper which consists of vegetables, fruits, juices, milk, eggs and meat. Before a contest he drops the milk products and for his meat intake, he eats only fish and poultry. This diet is supplemented with an all purpose vitamin and mineral pack, copious quantity of vitamin C plus vitamin E.

Mr. “Abs” has varied interests which include reading of history, chess and art. He likes the outdoors so fishing, both deep sea and fresh water, fall into the spectrum of his likes. He also has a huge collection of jazz and semi. classical records which he spends long hours enjoying.

Appearance means far more than measurements to Koszewski, therefore I am unable to give you the tape indications of his body parts. Size and shape, I must admit is far more of a criteria in determining one’s physical condition than measurements. If only we could have more middle aged men in his superb physical condition there would be very little need for tranquilizers and medicants. Too, the late president John F. Kennedy’s dream of physical fitness would be almost a reality.

That friends is a thumb-nail sketch of the life, likes, and training habits of Irvin Paul Koszewski.

Like this:

Related

Conor Heffernan

Conor is currently researching Ireland's physical culture movement as a PhD student at University College Dublin. When not in the library or the gym, he likes to try his hand at writing....with mixed results.

1Comment

[…] true Zen form, Zane stuck to the pure fundamentals, a point he observed in the training of ‘Zabo’ Koszewski. ‘Zabo’ as many iron heads will remember, was famed for having the best abdominals in […]